Tag: seminyak

When in Bali, you absolutely have to try babi guling, the famous Balinese BBQ pork dish. But sometimes it’s difficult to find one close to where you’re staying. Babi Guling Pak Malen is not only close to Seminyak, it’s also super tasty.

I got a standard portion of Babi Guling and a fresh orange juice and the total of the bill came to Rp55.000.

The portion of pork is small. Really small. Especially when you compare it to many other places in Bali. So while the value for money is quite low here, the taste is great.

The crackling was super crispy with just a thin layer of fat, the scratchings were sinful and tasty, the sate spicy and tender and the flesh itself oh so moist.I got my lawar medium spicy, but it nearly blew my head off. Soo spicy, but oh so delicious.

I think the orange juice I got with the babi guling was a perfect accompaniment. Fresh and icy cold, it went down a treat in the hot warung atmosphere.

And that brings us to the next point. The warung itself has no character. It’s hot. It’s often busy. And it’s really just functional. You come here, eat your pork, and leave. That’s it!

I really like this place because it’s well located on Sunset Road, the pork is really tasty and service is quick. The perfect place for babi guling when in Seminyak.

Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen
Jalan Sunset No.5, Seminyak
Babi Guling: Rp40.000
Orange Juice: Rp15.000

During a recent trip to Bali, I decided to search for the best cafes in Seminyak by trying as many of the good ones as I could. I scoured blogs for recommendations, tripadvisor for advice and apps like foursquare for the low down. I even checked out tripcanvas and found that the recommendations were awful as the writers hadn’t even visited the places they were recommending. The information I found was a real mixed bag!

So after trying all of these cafes out personally, I came up with my list of the best cafes in the Seminyak area. I actually went a little further afield to Canggu and the road to Batu Bolong to make sure I got all the coffee shops and cafes covered.

So without further ado, here is my version of the best cafes in Seminyak.

Sisterfields

Location: Jalan Kayu Cendana 7, Seminyak

Sisterfields wins the title of my favourite cafe in Seminyak. Easily. I didn’t want this to be the case when I first visited. Why? Because it was so busy and I had to line up to get inside. I didn’t want such a super popular place to be awesome. But it is. The crowds have chosen this cafe as their favourite and I agree with them.

All the dishes I’ve had here except one have been awesome. Really amazing. The coffee is also very good and I love the cups it’s served in. Service is attentive despite the crowds. It’s just between Seminyak Square and Grocer & Grind. Go here.

Baby Revolver

Location: Jalan Kayu Aya / Gang 51, Seminyak

This is actually a fantastic cafe located on Jalan Petitenget. The coffee is awesome, the location itself is tiny and the staff are friendly. It’s the sort of place you come to down a quick coffee on your morning walk/run around Seminyak.

It’s not a place to come with a big group or if you’re after a proper meal. A biscuits and pastries is all you’ll find here.

Milk & Madu

Location: Jalan Raya Pantai Berawa No.52, Tibubeneng, Kuta Utara

Milk & Madu is a bit out of Seminyak in Canggu, but it’s worth a trip if you want great food, good coffee and a relaxing semi-outdoor environment. What’s more, there’s a large grass area for kids to play on and because the pavilion is open-sided, people don’t get so annoyed with kids shouting and running amok.

Get here and back with an Uber. Even though there is a local taxi mafia in place, you can get around this if you’re a stealth uber rider.

The Fat Turtle

Location: Jalan Petitenget 886A, Seminyak

The Fat Turtle is another Jalan Petitenget number. Before entering, I was a bit worried it was going to be hopeless. But the food here was good (good range of standard cafe fare & the red velvet pancakes were delicious) as was the coffee and it was consistently full with customers. It’s not going to win any awards for best cafe, but I reckon it’s pretty damn good.

What I really like about it is that it’s unpretentious. Good food without the attitude of many other places around Seminyak and Canggu. This place will appeal to a lot of people.

Pison

Location: Jalan Petitenget 8A, Seminyak

I love the name of this coffee shop/cafe. I especially like saying it in an Indonesian accent. Makes me feel like an Aussie. The name aside, the cafe really does a fantastic job of the food it delivers. I thought the burger was a good one and the coffees I had here were all very good. One time when I visited, it got a little crowded for my liking. But at other times it was quite quiet… I guess it depends on the time of day and the time of year you visit.

It’s located up the Canggu end of Seminyak, but still well within the Seminyak area. You can walk here easily from Seminyak Square if you enjoy walking. Otherwise jump in a bluebird and paying about 7000 rupes.

Sea Circus

Location: Jalan Kayu Aya 22, Seminyak

If you’ve been to Seminyak before, you’ve almost certainly been to Sea Circus before. It was one of the earlier trendy cafes and ever since this time they have been bang on with food and coffee. The cafe feels like a mythical beach shack that exists only in people’s dreams and that’s not a bad thing.

Staff are pretty good and their menu seems to have maintained its modern feel over the past 7 or so years. In fact, this place remains one of my go to places because it’s so central to everything in Seminyak. 10 minute walk from Seminyak square down a couple of alleys.

Peloton Super Shop

Location: Jalan Raya Pantai Berawa no. 46, Canggu

If you’re vegan, this is probably the best place in the world for you. Located right out in the Canggu area, you must visit this vegan cafe. Lots of soy products, no real milk, no meat lots of bowls. You know the deal. I wasn’t so enamoured with the place because I had my heart set on an bacon & egg roll, but I get it. I get that this cafe is heaven for vegans.

And even if you’re not vegan and just don’t fancy meat or dairy, this place is a winner. A seriously good cafe on the Bali scene.

Nook

Location: Jalan Umalas 1, Gang Nook 1, Kerobokan

A lot of you already know about Nook. It was all the rage back in 2011/12 when it opened because it had these great ricefield views and it was fairly low key. If you haven’t been there in a few years, don’t go back. It’s been expanded enormously and the ricefield has started to be built over.

But I’ve still included it on my list of best Seminyak cafes because if you haven’t been here yet, you might just love this place! The food is still good as is the coffee. It’s just that it doesn’t have the same feel for me as it did years ago, but without that comparison, it’s still a decent cafe in Seminyak. Even though it’s technically just outside of Seminyak in either Kerobokan or Umalas, depending on who you speak to.

Grain Cafe

Location: Jalan Seminyak 16B, Seminyak

Grain Cafe is a good place to come for coffee and a bite to eat. It has the feel of a cafe in Inner Western Sydney circa 2010. And that’s not a terrible thing. It just means that the food and coffee is good, the fitout is not ultra-modern and it’s not a place to be snapping Instagrams.

But if you’re not into the world of Instagram, ultra modern cafes and all the fuss that goes along with them, you’re going to love Grain. Good cafe food at the Legian end of Seminyak, just north of Double Six and not far from the Haven.

Crate Cafe

Location: Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong No.64, Canggu

I’m torn with Crate Cafe. It was packed when I was there and people seemed to love it. I’d already read a few rave reviews. But the food I was dished up was sub-par. And the fitout was trying to be cool by being minimalist, but it didn’t work for me. I felt like an old man when the backs of my thighs started aching as they were dangling off the super high concrete bench.

Coffee was good, crowd age average about 22, favourite past time = surfing. Try it out if you’re on your way to Batu Bolong. Maybe not worth a visit if you’re basing yourself in central Seminyak. But then again, it might also depend on how old you are.

Corner House

Location: Jalan Kayu Ayu (Laksamana) 10A, Seminyak

There used to be a cafe here back in the day which was ultra modern for the time. Tuckshop/Corner Store burned down years ago and Corner House rose from its ashes. Corner House is much more modern, has much nice food and is just a fantastic cafe on the Seminyak scene.

I was surprised that it wasn’t so busy, but maybe because the centre of Seminyak now seems to be closer towards Kerobokan rather than this end which closer to Sunset Road.

Ippolito Specialty Coffee

Location: Jalan Lebak Sari, Petitenget, Seminyak

This is an odd spot. I understand why there was only one other customer when I was there. It looks like a wine bar crossed with a hotel. But the coffee here is very good, the lounges are relaxing to chill out on and the free pool out the back is awesome. Bring your bikini and towel because you might just want to take a dip after you’ve polished off your coffee.

Maybe not either. If you’re into coffee or just want to try as many different coffee shops as possible in Seminyak, come here. It’s weird, but it’s good.

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So there you have it. My version of the best cafes in Seminyak right now. Of course new places open up and old places close. But I reckon this is going to be a good list at least for a few years to come. Let me know what your favourite Seminyak cafe is!